E8-20980. Notice of Proposed Information Collection for 1029-0092 and 1029-0107

AGENCY:

Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement.

ACTION:

Notice and request for comments.

SUMMARY:

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSM) is announcing its intention to request approval for the collections of information for 30 CFR 745, State-Federal cooperative agreements; and 30 CFR Part 887, Subsidence Insurance Program Grants. These collection requests have been forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and comment. The information collection requests describe the nature of the information collections and the expected burden and cost.

DATES:

OMB has up to 60 days to approve or disapprove the information collections but may respond after 30 days. Therefore, public comments should be submitted to OMB by October 14, 2008, in order to be assured of consideration.

ADDRESSES:

Submit comments to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget, Attention: Department of Interior Desk Officer, by telefax at [phone] or via e-mail to [e-mail]. Also, please send a copy of your comments to John A. Trelease, Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement, 1951 Constitution Ave, NW., Room 202-SIB, Washington, DC 20240, or electronically to [e-mail].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

To request a copy of either information collection request, explanatory information and related forms, contact John A. Trelease at [phone], or electronically to [e-mail].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) regulations at 5 CFR 1320, which implement provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-13), require that interested members of the public and affected agencies have an opportunity to comment on information collection and recordkeeping activities [see 5 CFR 1320.8(d)]. OSM has submitted two requests to OMB to renew its approval of the collections of information contained in: 30 CFR 745, State-Federal cooperative agreements; and 30 CFR Part 887, Subsidence insurance program grants. OSM is requesting a 3-year term of approval for each information collection activity.

An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. The OMB control numbers for these collections are 1029-0092 for Part 745, and 1029-0107 for Part 887.

As required under 5 CFR 1320.8(d), a Federal Register notice soliciting comments on these collections of information was published on April 27, 2005 (70 FR 21811). No comments were received. This notice provides the public with an additional 30 days in which to comment on the following information collection activities:

Title: State-Federal cooperative agreements—30 CFR 745.

OMB Control Number: 1029-0092.

Summary: 30 CFR 745 requires that States submit information when entering into a cooperative agreement with the Secretary of the Interior. OSM uses the information to make findings that the State has an approved program and will carry out the responsibilities mandated in the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act to regulate surface coal mining and reclamation activities on Federal lands.

Bureau Form Number: None.

Frequency of Collection: Once.

Description of Respondents: State governments that regulate coal operations.

Total Annual Responses: 11.

Total Annual Burden Hours: 600.

Total Annual Non-Wage Costs: $0.

Title: Subsidence Insurance Program Grants—30 CFR 887.

OMB Control Number: 1029-0107.

Summary: States and Indian tribes having an approved reclamation plan may establish, administer and operate self-sustaining State and Indian Tribe-administered programs to insure private property against damages caused by land subsidence resulting from underground mining. States and Indian tribes interested in requesting monies for their insurance programs would apply to the Director of OSM.

Bureau Form Number: None.

Frequency of Collection: Once.

Description of Respondents: States and Indian tribes with approved coal reclamation plans.

Total Annual Responses: 1.

Total Annual Burden Hours: 8.

Total Annual Non-Wage Costs: $0.

Send comments on the need for the collections of information for the performance of the functions of the agency; the accuracy of the agency's burden estimates; ways to enhance the quality, utility and clarity of the information collections; and ways to minimize the information collection burdens on respondents, such as use of automated means of collections of the information, to the following addresses. Please refer to OMB control number 1029-0092 for Part 745 and 1029-0107 for Part 887 in your correspondence.

Before including your address, phone number, e-mail address, or other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be aware that your entire comment, including your personal identifying information, may be made publicly available at any time. While you can ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.

Dated: August 19, 2008.

John R. Craynon,

Chief, Division of Regulatory Support.